Obesity and Mental Health in High Risk Communities
Information
Recorded
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Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
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Identify three risk factors for obesity in high risk communities.
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Explain the importance of treatment for both obesity and mental health to optimize care.
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Identify two or more sources of bias in treatment which may affect care.
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Obesity and Mental Health in High Risk Communities.
Educational Goal
The educational goal of this workshop is to improve understanding of the intersection of stigma, obesity, and
mental health while emphasizing the need for compassion and treating patients.
Description
This presentation discusses the research that shows a link between obesity and various mental health issues including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. There will be an in-depth discussion on why Non-Hispanic Black adults have the highest prevalence of obesity (41.7%), why obesity is considered a disease and not a personal failing, and how to advocate for patients with this condition.
Target Audience
- Counselor
- Counselor
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Marriage & Family Therapist
- Medical Doctor
- Psychologist
- Psychologist
- Registered Nurse
- Social Worker
- Social Worker
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
- Substance Use Disorder Professionals
Presenters
Dr. Bell Washington is a Harvard-trained Public Health expert and Quadruple Board-Certified Physician who specializes in Adult Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Lifestyle Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. In 2020, Dr. Bell Washington received the Outstanding Teaching Faculty of the Year Award in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Wake Forest School of Medicine and National Medical Association’s Post-Graduate Section’s “Top Physician under 40” Emerging Leader award. In 2022, Dr. Bell Washington was selected to be a 40 under 40 “Leader in Minority Health” by National Minority Quality Forum, a Nutrition obesity research center at Harvard Diversity Scholar, and A Fellow of the Network for Emotional Well-being, research for Emotional and Physical Health.
Dr. Bell Washington is a recent graduate of Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health with a Master’s of Public Health and concentration in Health Policy and Leadership. She completed undergraduate education at Norfolk State University (a Historically Black College and University), medical school at Medical College of Virginia, and residency and fellowship at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She is obtaining an EMBA from Yale SOM class of 2025.
Dr. Bell Washington is passionate about advocacy, research, improving diversity and equity in leadership and decreasing stigma and bias surrounding chronic illnesses such as mental health disorders and obesity. Dr. Bell Washington currently works as a medical director on psychiatry health policy and health equity research and in her private practice, The Healthy Weigh MD PLLC, which focuses on prioritizing stress management, lifestyle medicine, mental health, and obesity treatment.
Financially Sponsored By
- Aetna Better Health of Louisiana